VGM in Ocean Freight: Who Submits It and Why It Matters
The container has reached the terminal and space is booked on the vessel, yet the carrier reports that its VGM is missing or needs correction. Until the issue is resolved, the shipment remains at risk. A missed deadline is only one possible cause: the container number may be wrong, the weight may be unverified, or the submission may still be a draft in the carrier's portal.
When arranging ocean container shipping, establish who obtains the verified mass, authorises it on behalf of the shipper and confirms acceptance of the data before the vessel's stowage plan is prepared.
What VGM means and which weight to report
VGM stands for Verified Gross Mass: the verified total mass of a packed container. It includes the goods, packaging, pallets, dunnage, securing materials and the container's own tare mass. The requirement has applied since 1 July 2016 under SOLAS VI/2 to containers and maritime movements within its scope.
The net weight of the goods, the gross weight of the packages and VGM describe different things. VGM will normally exceed the consignment's gross weight in the packing list because it also includes the container and any materials inside it not already counted in the packages. Packaging and pallets already included must not be added twice.
VGM supports safe container stowage on board. It does not replace customs information about the goods or establish compliance with every other shipping requirement.
Who is responsible for VGM and who submits it
Under SOLAS, the shipper is responsible for obtaining and documenting VGM. This means the party named as shipper on the relevant bill of lading, sea waybill or equivalent multimodal transport document, and/or the party that has concluded the contract with the shipping company, or in whose name or on whose behalf it was concluded. The seller shown on the commercial invoice is not a sufficient basis for identifying that party.
Where both a House B/L and Master B/L are involved, check the contractual chain and the forwarder's or NVOCC's role towards the ocean carrier. A company name in one document may not establish the complete position. Our article on the bill of lading in ocean shipping explains the purpose of these documents.
Participant | Operational task | What to agree in advance |
|---|---|---|
SOLAS shipper | Ensure VGM is obtained, documented and communicated in time | Responsible person and basis for verifying the mass |
Warehouse or weighing operator | Carry out the agreed measurements and supply the result | Method, equipment and identification of the container |
Authorised representative | Submit or amend data on the shipper's behalf | Authority, submission channel and status checks |
Carrier and terminal | Receive and share the data needed for loading plans | Transmission arrangements, deadline and amendments |
Asking a forwarder to enter the value in a portal does not remove the shipper's SOLAS obligations. The representative remains responsible for its own actions under the contract and applicable rules. Service charges and the allocation of losses arising from errors should be agreed separately.
For LCL, VGM applies to the complete consolidated container. Each cargo owner supplies reliable information about its own packages, while the party acting as shipper towards the ocean carrier ensures that VGM is provided for the container as a whole. During cargo consolidation, allocate these tasks among suppliers, the warehouse and the shipment organiser.
The two methods for determining VGM
Method 1 — weighing the packed container
The container is weighed after packing and sealing have been completed. The equipment must meet the requirements of the country where it is used, including the applicable accuracy, calibration and certification requirements.
If an entire truck combination is on the weighbridge, its total weight cannot be submitted as VGM. The mass of the chassis or trailer, the tractor where included in the weighing, and the relevant fuel must be properly deducted. The weighing result must identify the mass of the packed container itself. A combined weight for two containers cannot simply be divided by two.
Method 2 — adding verified component masses
The packages are weighed and all packing and securing materials are accounted for, then the actual container's tare mass is added. The method must be certified and approved by the competent authority in the country where packing was completed. A spreadsheet containing the supplier's estimates does not, by itself, meet this requirement.
For certain original sealed packages, the rules allow accurately marked masses to be used without reweighing, subject to the stated conditions. Method 1 is appropriate where the contents cannot readily be weighed as separate components, such as loose scrap metal.
Use the tare of the container actually supplied, matching its number and markings. An average figure for “any 40-foot container” is unsuitable. Our guide to shipping container weight explains the distinction between tare and maximum gross mass.
Illustrative example: the packages, including their packaging and pallets, weigh 19,200 kg; additional securing materials weigh 230 kg; and the container tare is 3,780 kg. The total is 23,210 kg. This illustrates what contributes to the mass; whether the result may be submitted depends on compliance with the chosen verification method.
Check the container's permitted mass and the inland leg's restrictions separately. An accurate VGM does not authorise a vehicle to exceed its weight or axle-load limits during container transport by road.
How to submit VGM and confirm acceptance
Prepare the container number, booking reference, mass and unit of measurement, together with details of the responsible shipper and authorised person. Provide the method, weighing date, weighing operator's details and other fields where required by the carrier and local rules. Each container needs its own result.
The VGM declaration must be authorised by a person duly empowered by the shipper. An electronic signature or the prescribed use of a person's name instead of a handwritten signature may be accepted. This does not mean that any unsigned weight note is automatically sufficient.
Submit the data through the carrier's supported portal, EDI connection or another agreed channel. VGM may form part of the shipping instructions or a separate message, but an ordinary cargo-weight field is not necessarily a VGM field. Emailing an invoice to a contact should not be treated as completion of the submission.
Establish who passes the information to the terminal: in many arrangements, the carrier does so after receiving it from the shipper. Check the container number, value, unit and processing status. Retain acceptance evidence or investigate a rejection. If the carrier has the record but the terminal cannot see it, the parties need to coordinate the update.
There is no universal rule requiring submission “24 or 48 hours before sailing”. Use the current deadline and time zone for the specific booking and allow time for corrections. The relationship between the deadlines is covered separately in our guide to SI, VGM and CY cut-offs.
Why a container may be refused loading
1. VGM was not received in time. The document may still be with the warehouse, the wrong channel may have been used, or the submission may be incomplete. The container's physical presence at the terminal does not resolve missing data.
2. The value is linked to another container or booking. Even an accurate weight is ineffective if it refers to the wrong equipment. After a container substitution, check the number, tare and whether VGM must be determined again.
3. The mass is unreliable or the data was rejected. Possible causes include confusing kilograms with pounds, omitting tare, using an unsuitable verification method or failing to provide required authorisation.
4. The container exceeds its maximum permitted gross mass. Changing a number in the portal does not remove physical overloading. The load must be brought within the permitted limit and its mass verified again.
5. Another reason for refusal remains. Accepted VGM does not guarantee loading: customs restrictions, dangerous-goods issues, safety concerns or the vessel plan may still prevent it. The master retains the final decision on accepting a container on board.
Some terminals refuse gate-in without VGM, while others allow the mass to be obtained on site. Check access, weighing availability, charges and result transmission before arrival. A terminal is not automatically obliged to weigh every arriving container.
What to do after an error or a second weighing
First, obtain the precise reason for the hold. Then compare the container number, weighing result, carrier record and terminal record. If the container was opened or its cargo or securing materials changed, confirm that VGM reflects its final contents.
Where a previously submitted VGM differs from a valid terminal weighing result, IMO guidance provides for using the latter. Coordinate the update with the carrier and terminal and retain supporting records. Do not simply choose the lower figure or assume that a tolerance used at another port applies universally.
If the error also affects the consignment's cargo weight, amend the related documents through the relevant procedures. Making all figures identical can create another error because they may describe different masses. This is explained in our article on weight discrepancies in the invoice, packing list and CMR.
After correction, check that the new version has been accepted and confirm whether the container can still be loaded on the original sailing. A late amendment does not guarantee reinstatement in an already completed stowage plan.
Additional costs and preparing the shipment
Extra costs may include weighing, container moves, storage, vehicle waiting and booking changes. The amounts and paying party depend on tariffs, contracts and the circumstances of the error. The shipper's duty to provide VGM does not, by itself, settle every dispute about charges.
Send Save Pro Solutions the route, cargo description and weight, package count, container type and readiness date. Add any existing booking, VGM cut-off and contact responsible for weighing. When agreeing freight forwarding in European and Ukrainian ports, we will allocate the tasks for obtaining and submitting the data and check readiness for dispatch.
